Barcelona vs Real Sociedad Review
Real Sociedad, down to 10 players, lost 4-0 at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, allowing Barcelona to ascend to the top of the La Liga standings. Shortly after the match began, Sociedad’s celebrations were halted when Sergio Gómez’s deflected shot was disallowed due to an offside in the buildup. This gave Barcelona the opportunity to strike first, but Pedri’s attempt was blocked and ended up on the roof of the net after Álex Remiro was pressured to clear. The visitors appeared to be in good form, hitting the crossbar with a shot from Orri Óskarsson, who should have capitalized on a one-on-one situation but was ultimately flagged offside.
Sociedad quickly found themselves at a disadvantage, as just moments after their opportunity, they were reduced to 10 players. Dani Olmo’s quick run left Sociedad vulnerable, prompting captain Elustondo to bring down the Barça player, leaving referee Alejandro Quintero González with no option but to issue a red card. With the opposition weakened, Blaugrana took the lead seven minutes later when Lamine Yamal outmaneuvered a defender and passed to Olmo, who set up 23-year-old Gerard Martín to score his first professional goal with a side-foot finish.
By the 30-minute mark, the home team had doubled their lead, thanks to another assist from Olmo. This goal was somewhat accidental, as Olmo’s shot from the edge of the box deflected off Marc Casadó, who also scored his first goal for Barcelona, and the left post into the net. The away team faced a significant challenge and struggled to create chances, with Pedri hitting the woodwork with a long-range shot shortly after the second half began.
If the match wasn’t already decided, two goals within five minutes in the second half sealed the outcome. Ronald Araújo was quick to respond when Robert Lewandowski’s header from a corner was deflected, scoring his first league goal of the season. He then assisted Lewandowski, whose long-range shot was redirected past Remiro by the Polish striker. Although Lewandowski missed a chance for a second goal with a poorly timed header in the final moments, it didn’t matter as the win was already secured.
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, now unbeaten in 15 matches across all competitions (12 wins, 3 draws), has moved ahead of Atlético Madrid to take the top spot in La Liga, leading by one point over Atletico and three points ahead of Real Madrid in third place. It was a challenging day for Sociedad, resulting in a somewhat expected defeat, leaving Imanol Alguacil’s team in ninth place in a tightly packed midtable.
